


changkyu | the way to break up

by plincess_cho (ai_hao)



Series: Fic Requests [60]
Category: DBSK | Tohoshinki | TVfXQ | TVXQ, EXO (Band), SHINee, SM Entertainment | SMTown, So Nyuh Shi Dae | Girls' Generation, Super Junior, f(x)
Genre: Author: Ai, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-05
Updated: 2015-07-05
Packaged: 2018-04-07 20:59:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4277709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ai_hao/pseuds/plincess_cho
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They leave. Without saying goodbye. Acts I, II, and III.</p>
            </blockquote>





	changkyu | the way to break up

"There's a new kid joining that rotation group," Yunho informs Changmin. "I think he's the same age as you."

Changmin looks up from his noodles. "Yeah?" He wouldn't mind someone closer to his age. The rest of DBSK were all born in 1986 and take every possible opportunity to remind him that he's the maknae. "Who's getting rotated out?" 

Yunho shrugs. "Maybe Jongwoon. I hear he's a vocalist." 

"Sucks to be him." 

*  

They officially meet on Hyukjae's birthday. Junsu sneaks out the day before to find the perfect embarrassing gift for his childhood best friend, while Yunho and Leeteuk pool their money to get Hyukjae a cake. The DBSK boys walk together over to Super Junior's dorm. Changmin trips over the pile of shoes in the entry way and wonders how they've managed to jam 13 boys into one dorm. 

"We have two floors," Youngwoon informs him. "The other floor smells because of Hyukjae's feet, so we decided to meet up here." 

Changmin spots the new kid almost immediately. He's skinny and awkward, with a head slightly too big for his body. He hangs back from the others as if he's not sure he belongs. Changmin sidles up to him and says, "So I hear we're the same age." 

The other boy turns to look at him. "1988?"

Changmin nods. "February 18."

A tiny smirk flickers across the other's face. "February 3. That makes me your hyung."

Changmin would be annoyed except that he replies, "But I'm still your sunbae."

He realizes he's met his match. "Kyuhyun."

"Changmin."

"Oh good! You've met!" Yunho says, bustling over in that very dad like way. Changmin ignores him and spends the rest of the night with Kyuhyun. 

*

_jungUknow: Come to the hospital ASAP._  
_lord_voldemin: What's wrong?  
_ _jungUknow: super junior was in a car wreck  
_ _jungUknow: kyuhyun isn't going to make it_

Changmin hurriedly gathers his things and runs towards the door. He runs halfway to the hospital until a taxi pulls up beside him. "Hey kid! Need a lift?"

Changmin collapses into the backseat. "Take me to the hospital. Quick!" he exclaims breathlessly. 

There's a crowd of reporters standing outside, and Changmin has never hated anyone more in his life. "Out of my way!" he shouts. 

"You can't go in!" a policeman says. "Family only."

"I'm DBSK's Changmin!" Changmin yells out. "Those are my friends!"

Changmin counts 9 Super Junior members, 2 DBSK members, and several other people he doesn't recognize in the waiting room. Yunho spots him and beckons him over. "Jungsoo, Donghee, Hyukjae, and Kyuhyun were all in a car accident," he explains. "Donghee and Hyuk will be alright. Jungsoo's in surgery and Kyuhyun..." his voice trails off. "Is also in surgery."

"So he hasn't died yet?" Changmin asks. 

"No. But they don't think he'll ever be able to sing again."

_Oh._  

*

When "Sorry Sorry" explodes all over the globe, Changmin spends even less time with Kyuhyun. In another life, maybe they'd be best friends, but Changmin hardly has time to do anything now that "Mirotic" promotions are underway. There's not much time to make friends when you're taking over Asia. 

They've just finished another long concert in Japan, and everyone is exhilarated but exhausted. Changmin collapses into one of the beds in the hotel room while someone else jumps in the shower. Jaejoong flops down next to him, and Changmin feels the bed dip with his weight. 

"Are we getting paid soon?" he asks. "I promised my sisters I'd treat them with my next paycheck."

"Don't know," Changmin replies. And the truth is, he doesn't. When the company decides to pay them, they say thank you and don't complain. "Have we sold enough albums yet?"

"Surely we have!" Junsu exclaims. "We're topping the charts. We deserve our paychecks."

"It is rather unfair that we have to sell a certain number first. We still record and perform and make money through ticket sales and merchandise," Yoochun says. 

Yunho steps out of the bathroom, rubbing his hair with a towel. "But they have to pay off their expenses first."

"Surely it can't cost that much to produce an album. That's ridiculous!" Jaejoong replies. 

Changmin doesn't care. He just wants to sleep. 

*

Betrayed. That's the only word to describe his feelings at the moment. Just last night, Jaejoong had gone on this whole long thing about their brotherhood and unbreakable bond, but then he, Yoochun, and Junsu had gone and done this. 

"We were doing fine," Changmin grumbles aloud. "Sure it's not ideal, but we're still rookies. You have to pay your dues first."

He hadn't even heard from the three themselves. Yunho had texted him about it. They didn't have the courage to tell their own members that they wanted out. 

_lord_voldemin: where r u right now?_  
_jungUknow: SJ dorm  
__jungUknow: come over if you want ~  
__jungUknow: we're on the "not smelly" floor_  

Changmin jams his feet into some shoes and heads out. He can't help but feel so incredibly sorry for Yunho. Yunho, the one who worked tirelessly to join SM. Yunho, the one who told him that he should leave right away if he wasn't going to take this seriously. Yunho, their leader with the weight of the world on his shoulders. He's angry at the others. Angry at them for ruining Yunho's dream. 

Changmin sidesteps the pile of shoes out of habit and finds everyone strewn around the living room. Nobody says a word. 

He hates this. 

Kyuhyun pulls him to the other floor at one point and pours both of them very large glasses of wine. Changmin tries to protest that he doesn't care for wine, but Kyuhyun ignores him and drains his own glass. 

Once they're properly drunk, they collapse against each other on the couch and Changmin realizes that maybe, being in DBSK is what he wanted all along. But it's too late now; his dream is slipping away. 

*

They get the second set of news a few weeks later and still haven't heard from the other three. 

"Contract termination?" Changmin asks, looking up from his computer at Yunho. 

"That's what they said," Yunho replies. He seems so... defeated. He's watching his life dream disappear without any way to snatch it back. "You haven't... Heard from any of them, have you?"

Changmin shakes his head. "No." And then he says in a soft, anxious voice, "What's going to happen to us?"

Yunho swallows a lump in his throat and turns to face Changmin. His eyes are a mixture of hurt and fiery resolve. "We're going to make it," he says firmly. "We haven't come this far to give up now."

*

Kyuhyun doesn't really know what to say. He'd come so close to losing his dream of being a singer as well, but he doesn't remember. He remembers waking up in the hospital room and hearing that his father saved his life and his ability to sing. He remembers the seemingly endless stay in the hospital as he learned how to walk again. He remembers the slow return to practices and performances that now required three times the original effort. And he remembers stumbling towards his bed for those few brief moments of sleep they were allowed and wondering if this was really all worth it. But he doesn't remember considering a future without his voice. He doesn't, but everyone else does. 

He invites Changmin to his parents' home when they get a break between performance schedules. The two of them lug bottles of wine up the stairs in preparation for a night of forgetting about their problems. Kyuhyun's mother keeps pushing food onto their plates, complaining that they're too thin, while his father asks Changmin about his father. Ahra comes home late from a long evening of violin practice and immediately runs towards her brother, only later realizing that the other boy in the room is DBSK's Choikang Changmin, not one of Kyuhyun's secondary schoolmates. 

They finish about half the wine before deciding to turn in. Changmin tucks himself into bed next to Kyuhyun and they lay in silence for a good while. But neither falls asleep. Instead, they stare up at the glow-in-the-dark solar system in Kyuhyun's ceiling. 

"Do you want to talk about it?" Kyuhyun asks. 

"I don't know what there is to say," Changmin replies. 

"What has the company said?"

Changmin takes a deep breath. "They said... Yunho and I will start practices next week to return... As two."

"Really?" Kyuhyun asks in surprise. He shifts a bit to look at Changmin. 

"Yeah. I couldn't really believe it when they told us either. But what else are they going to do with us? It's better than throwing us out on the streets."

"Of course, but what about... The fans?"

"Don't know," Changmin replies. 

Another moment passes and then Kyuhyun says, "Kibum's going on hiatus."

"Why?" Changmin asks. 

"He wants to focus on acting," Kyuhyun says. "It's just as well. He hasn't been to any of the promotions for 'Sorry Sorry' if you can believe it."

"Did he tell you himself?"

"Yeah. It's not that much of a surprise; he's mentioned it so many times already. But at the last group meeting, he told us he was making it official."

"Wow." The thought of the Super Junior group meetings is always so strange to Changmin. DBSK has meetings - well, had meetings - but they spent almost all of their time together anyway. It wasn't hard to gather all five of them in the same place, but getting more than eight Super Junior members in the same room at one time was a constant struggle. Kyuhyun had told him about filming for an episode of Explorers of the Human Body where Shindong pretended he was leaving. 

"Even though we knew it was a joke, everyone was crying. Except Heechul of course. He had to leave the room because the idiot can't keep a poker face to save his life. But everyone else was sobbing, especially Hyukjae. I almost felt bad for him, because that was a horrid prank. Afterwards we all gathered in the kitchen at the dorms, and sat on the floor to talk about it... About someone leaving." He remembers Kyuhyun smiling a bit. "It really felt like we all were a family. I'd always wanted a brother growing up, and now I have 12. Well, 14 if you count Henry and Zhou Mi."

"So," Kyuhyun breaks him from his memory. "You can just take his place. Too bad you're a singer and not a rapper. We've already filled the vocalist positions."

"Ha!" Changmin snorts. "Maybe I should join a rookie group instead. What's that one that just debuted?" 

"f(x)?" Kyuhyun jokes. "Isn't that the one with the Chinese girl you think is hot?"

"I don't just think she's hot, she _is_ hot. No, she's more than hot. She's like a goddess: the word 'hot' doesn't even begin to describe her."

"Perfect. Yunho can join us and you can emasculate yourself and join the girl group. I'd love to see how horrible you look in a dress." 

Changmin elbows him in the ribs, leading Kyuhyun to grumble and try to push Changmin off of the bed. They start a wrestling match which ends with them in a pile in the floor. Changmin has Kyuhyun in a headlock but a well-placed elbow to the crotch sets him free. They roll around for a bit before crashing into the dresser and deciding to call it quits. 

Changmin has to admit: it feels good to be ridiculous again. Everything has been so serious lately but this, this is what he needed. 

*

Practicing as two is weird. It's even weirder because it's just him and _Yunho._  The leader and the maknae. The one who always dreamed of being here and the one who got dragged to an audition because his mother wanted to meet Boa. (He _still_ hadn't introduced them. If Yunho would hurry up and ask her out, that'd make things so much easier.) 

Lately, Yunho has been spending just as much time in the Super Junior dorms as Changmin has, albeit on the other floor. He and Leeteuk talk a lot, and he spends the rest of the time with Donghae. Changmin almost wants to ask the manager if they can just join Super Junior. "What's a few more members?" But that would never work. 

The version of the song they're learning choreography for still has five distinct voices, and Changmin watches Yunho wince as the others' vocals fill the studio. They'll rerecord it of course, but for now, they have to rework half the choreography they'd already learned. 

Changmin watches Yunho talking with the dancer hyungs once they've finished. One slings his arm around Yunho while another claps his shoulder. Yunho smiles at them, his eyes disappearing into slits of laughter. And Changmin smiles too, for his sake. 

*

The backlash following the announcement of their comeback is predictable, but Changmin didn't expect it to be quite so vitriolic. Half the fans are threatening to leave. _Just like half of this band,_  Changmin thinks bitterly. There are some fans who proclaim their undying love and support, for which Changmin is grateful, but that now familiar anxious feeling gnaws away at his stomach. 

"I'm getting an ulcer," he complains to his mother. 

"You shouldn't eat such spicy food then," she says, reaching for his plate. 

He scoots it out of her reach and decides he'll take his chances. 

*

The day that Jaejoong, Yoochun, and Junsu officially nullify their contracts with SM Entertainment, Yunho and Changmin receive a message on their long neglected member group chat. It's from Jaejoong and simply reads:  _I'm sorry._

Changmin is about to unleash the tidal wave of bitterness and anger he's been holding back these past months, but Yunho stops him. "Let them go, Changminnie. What's done is done." Changmin wants to ask him how he can be so fucking calm in this situation, but Yunho continues, "There's no good hurting them now. I'm going to the gym. Would you like to come with me?"

Changmin doesn't want to, but he goes anyways. They meet their trainer who sets Changmin to the track while he helps Yunho with weights. Changmin starts out at a slow jog, but as his mind keeps turning to the message from Jaejoong, his anger boils within him. He breaks into a run and flies around the track until his lungs burn from the lack of oxygen. 

He stops for a glass of water before the trainer motions him over again. "How about some boxing?" Changmin pulls on the gloves and listens as the trainer instructs him on the proper punching technique. He holds the punching bag in place as Changmin beats at the bag with all of his might, letting all of the anger from this entire endeavor flow out of him. 

A somewhat less winded Yunho half drags a very exhausted Changmin back to the DBSK dorms. When they return, they find that the other three rooms have now been completely emptied of their contents. Nothing remains except for the furniture that was there before they moved in. Yunho stands in shock, but Changmin slides down onto the kitchen floor.

"They're really gone," Yunho murmurs in disbelief. "They're really gone." He sits down on the floor next to Changmin. 

"It's just us now," Changmin replies. He looks around the kitchen and wonders how the five of them would have fit, just like Super Junior. But it doesn't matter anymore. It's just the two of them now. "I'm not giving up on this," Changmin says fiercely. "And neither can you."

*

As if things couldn't get any worse, Kyuhyun texts him a few days later with more bad news. 

_gaemgyu: hankyung hyung filed for contract termination  
__gaemgyu: he left last night for china  
__gaemgyu: and didn't say goodbye_  

Changmin stares at his phone and reads the messages again just to make sure they're real. 

_lord_voldemin: are u okay?_

He doesn't know what else to say. 

_gaemgyu: no  
__gaemgyu: i'm worried about heechul hyung  
__gaemgyu: both of his roommates left. and he's already wanted to leave_  

_lord_voldemin: can u come over?_  
_gaemgyu: we have a group meeting but i don't have schedules after  
__lord_voldemin: K  
__lord_voldemin: i'll buy the alcohol_  

When Kyuhyun finally shows up at his door, he looks like shit. Changmin ushers him in and starts pulling out beers from the fridge. "How... How did things go?"

"Horribly. Everyone was yelling at each other except for Hyukjae and Ryeowook, who wouldn't stop sobbing. We haven't heard from Kibum yet and everyone is fucking pissed." Kyuhyun takes a long gulp of beer. "Be glad you only have Yunho to deal with. I feel like I just escaped from the DMZ."

Well, at least now they're both utterly miserable. 

*

The practice rooms and hallways are extremely tense. Nobody really talks to each other because nobody really knows what to say. The girl groups all try to encourage them, but it doesn't really help. SHINee are still too in awe of their sunbaes to offer any real friendship, though Minho always tries to say something helpful when they pass him. 

"What's going to happen to us?" Changmin hears Yoona ask Taeyeon. "Is the company..." He doesn't stick around to hear the rest. 

Things only get worse when Super Junior come back from China after their Super Show 2 Encore concert. 

"It was so fucking horrible," Kyuhyun says. "They were booing Zhou Mi and Henry offstage and kept chanting Hankyung's name while they were trying to sing. I couldn't even finish singing, I was so disgusted."

Changmin is now _really_ dreading his and Yunho's first performance as two. If this is what happened when one member left a large group, what will happen now that over half of DBSK is gone?

"Fuck," he says. 

"I need a drink."

"A beer?"

"How about a whole bottle of Merlot?" 

"Done."

*

They survive. Just barely, but they do. Changmin and Yunho walk onstage to cheers. To _happy_ cheers. The entire venue lights up with red and Changmin tries to keep his legs from shaking. He takes his position next to Yunho and waits for the music to start. 

When they walk offstage a while later, the fans are still screaming in support behind them. Changmin blinks tears out of his eyes and his legs finally give out. He manages to stumble towards a chair to break his fall. 

"We did it, Changminnie," Yunho says, tears streaming down his face. "We did it."

*

Three years later, and the Kyuline is practically recognized as an official SM group. Changmin and Kyuhyun decide to teach Minho the choreography for "Ichigo" and somehow manage to acquire another one of the giant strawberry hats. Victoria runs off with Changmin's and playfully refuses to give it back until he kisses her, which hardly takes much convincing. It takes far more convincing to pull Changmin away so they can get ready to go onstage. 

"Nobody wants to see you onstage with a boner," Kyuhyun tells him. 

"Except for, oh let me see, all of my fans," Changmin replies. He gives Victoria one last peck and obediently follows Kyuhyun and Minho toward the stage area. 

"Break a leg, guys!" Junmyeon exclaims as they pass him. He gives them a thumbs up before turning back to run through another bit of choreography with Kris. 

"Next time, we'll let you join us Joonmoney," Changmin tells him. 

"For a price," Kyuhyun cackles. 

Minho tries to hug Junmyeon while still wearing the strawberry head. 

* 

Changmin and Kyuhyun are in the midst of planning their next food tour trip to Busan when they get the message from Junmyeon. 

_KimJunmyeon: kris filed for contract termination  
__KimJunmyeon: he left for canada without saying goodbye_  

Their laughter dies in their throats as an avalanche of memories cascades onto both of them. Memories from three years earlier that they'd tried to forget. Memories of anger and bitterness and betrayal. Memories of wondering about what the future held. Memories of getting messages exactly like these. 

_lord_voldemin: fuck_  
_minomino: :((((((((( i'm sorry hyung!!!!! [crying] [crying]_  
_KimJunmyeon: can i come over?_  
_gaemgyu: yes  
__gaemgyu: 11th floor. you know the password  
__minomino: i'll walk over with you hyung ~ :(((((_  

Kyuhyun looks over at Changmin. Neither says a word, but they both close their laptops. Kyuhyun rummages through the fridge for some beer. Changmin rubs his temple with his fingers. 

Minho and Junmyeon let themselves into the dorm. Minho guides a very worried looking Junmyeon to the couch and sits him down. "I'll make you some tea," he says. 

"No need," Changmin says. Kyuhyun holds up the pack of beer. 

They pass around bottles and situate themselves on the couch. Minho has his arm around Junmyeon's shoulders, while Junmyeon leans forward, burying his head in his hands. "I can't believe this is happening. It's like 2009 all over again." 

They let Junmyeon cry for a bit. Minho strokes his back soothingly while Changmin and Kyuhyun drain their beer bottles. None of them say anything, because what could they say? 

"I... I knew that he wasn't happy," Junmyeon says finally. "But I never thought he'd leave. He's the _leader._ He's..." His voice trails off. "I don't know what we're going to do."

"We know the feeling," Changmin says grimly. "It'll be hell, but you'll get through it."

"I'm the leader for all of them now," Junmyeon says. "They're all depending on me." 

Changmin and Kyuhyun exchange looks over Junmyeon's hunched form. This was something they hadn't had to deal with as the maknaes of their respective groups. And not for the first time, neither knew what to say. 

"I know you'll give them your best," Minho says. "You've already proven what a great leader you are, hyung. 

"I don't know how to lead ten members," Junmyeon says. "Sometimes, I don't even do a good job with five." 

"That's not true! You do a great job with EXO-K and I'm sure you'll manage with all of them," Minho says. 

 "I wish Leeteuk were here," Kyuhyun says, mostly to Changmin. "He'd know what to do."

*

Luhan leaves next. Then SNSD kicks out Jessica. Victoria spends an afternoon crying into Changmin's shoulder about Sulli leaving. "I can't believe people can be so _awful_ to her!" she exclaims. "Jinri is an absolute angel!"

"Her and Zhou Mi," Kyuhyun says darkly. Changmin strokes Victoria's hair and searches for something to say. 

They go nearly a month without someone leaving until Sungmin announces that he's getting married and the fangirls turn mutinous. Not for the first time, Kyuhyun wonders if this is all really worth it. 

"What if we just quit?" he asks Changmin over a bottle of Pinot Noir. "Just said 'fuck it' and left?"

Changmin drains his glass before answering. "I can't. I promised Yunho that I wouldn't give up if he didn't. But he's leaving soon you know."

"Yeah. Sungmin and Shindong are enlisting soon too."

Changmin pours himself more wine. "Do you think we'll be in the same division?"

Kyuhyun offers him a weak smile. "Not unless you come up with some health condition in the next year so you can do public service like me."

"Oh that's right. Your crushed pelvis and lack of male vitality," Changmin sneers. 

"Excuse me my pelvis is perfectly functional," Kyuhyun shoots back. "And it has been scientifically proven that I have a very high level of male vitality thank you very much."

"Lab tests but not actual experience," Changmin shoots back with a grin. 

Kyuhyun pulls out his phone and starts scrolling through his photos. "Hm where's that shot of you passed out naked after Minho's birthday..."

"Ya!" Changmin exclaims and makes a grab for the phone. 

Heechul comes in right as Kyuhyun gets Changmin to admit that he is full of sexual prowess (despite never having actually slept with anyone) and just laughs. "I've trained you so well, maknae."

*

Twenty years go by, and things change. They both have solo activities for awhile in addition to a duet album, but then they somehow both end up at their alma mater as professors. Changmin is quick to remind anyone who asks that he completed his PhD before Kyuhyun, but Kyuhyun will add that he released three more solo albums than Changmin. 

This semester, the university decided that they should teach a music history class together. "We can call it: The History of the Hallyu Wave," the department head announces excitedly. "And who better to teach it than two of the idols who helped spread hallyu culture around the world!" 

Changmin chokes a bit on the propaganda, but there's really no way to politely decline. It takes a bit longer to convince Kyuhyun who has pointedly focused on the technical side of musical for the past decade and a half, but ultimately they agree.

The two show up to the first class and face a lecture hall filled with mostly female students. Changmin had suggested they dress in some of their old performance clothes, but Kyuhyun immediately vetoed that. "None of these kids were alive when we were idols, let alone actually liked us."

They introduce themselves as Professor Cho and Professor Shim respectively. No one really seems to know who they are, and they get a couple of questions about whether or not they'll cover current idol groups. 

But at the end of the lecture, one girl hangs back from her friends and approaches the lectern where Changmin and Kyuhyun are gathering up their things. 

"Excuse me," she says. As they turn, she pulls two carefully wrapped items out of her bag. "Would you mind signing these for me? I'm a big fan." 

"Sure." They unwrap the packets to find a copy of "Sorry Sorry" and a copy of "Mirotic." In the digital age, Changmin can hardly believe anyone owns albums anymore, let alone ones as old as these. "I'm surprised. Most kids your age have no idea who we are, let alone own our albums."

"My uncle's told me a lot about you," she says. "He's the one who gave these to me."

"Who's your uncle?" Kyuhyun asks as he signs the album, his hand out of practice after so long. He hasn't held any Super Junior albums in ages; all of his copies are packed away in a box somewhere. 

"Kim Junmyeon," she says. "He always talks about you guys and how you helped him through the hardest times in his life."

Recognition lights up Changmin and Kyuhyun's faces. After EXO disbanded, Junmyeon moved to America for awhile and they'd sort of lost touch. 

"It's an honor to meet you," she continues. "Uncle Junmyeon always encourages me to never give up on my dreams, even when it seems like everything is against me. He says that's what you guys taught him."

They hand the student her albums and Kyuhyun says, "Thank you. Next time you talk to your uncle, tell him to look us up the next time he's in Seoul. We owe him a drink."

"I will. Thank you, professors!" she bows and skips out of the room with a huge grin. 

Changmin and Kyuhyun exchange glances. This time, their bitter memories are mingled with all of the happiness they experienced throughout their careers as idols. They remember standing on a stage in front of thousands of cheering fans, singing their hearts out, and realizing that they could never give up on their dreams. 

"We made it," Kyuhyun tells Changmin over a bottle of wine that night. 

"We did," Changmin replies. 

 

_fin._

**Author's Note:**

> I changed the JYJ timeline a bit because it dragged out longer than I wanted and to make it more distinct from Han Geng's timeline.


End file.
